Uncle Marv's IT Business Podcast (Products, stories, and tips for the MSP and IT Professional)

Saving money on AI does not mean much if you are still using it the wrong way. That was one of my biggest takeaways from TD SYNNEX Inspire in Greenville, South Carolina. Erick Simpson joins me to unpack the announcements that caught our attention, including FinOps Fusion and Agent Bridge. We discuss the potential to better understand AI spending, reduce manual work around quoting and ordering, and spot client opportunities that get buried when we are busy putting out fires. I also explain why I want to see the AI spending conversation go beyond cutting costs to improving prompts, automations, and results.The vendor floor gave us another reason to rethink what we bring to clients. Ergonomic workspaces, healthcare carts, branded device cases, and other hardware sparked conversations we do not usually have at MSP events. Before the recap, I share how I moved a client’s Access-based application to V2 Cloud, what was still unfinished, and how a $15 cable helped another client avoid replacing an external drive. And yes, Erick and I get into the swag, including a few things I will actually use.=== Guest: Erick Simpson, MSP Mastered / Channel MasteredWebsite: https://ericksimpson.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericksimpson=== Companies / Vendors / Products / BooksV2 Cloud: https://v2cloud.com/TD SYNNEX Inspire — official conference site. https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/inspire/Channel Mastered — About. https://channelmastered.com/about/MSP Mastered — official site. https://mspmastered.com/Digi — TD SYNNEX Inspire 2026 event overview. https://www.digi.com/resources/events/2026/td-synnex-inspire-2026TD SYNNEX — PartnerFirst agentic capabilities announcement. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008201780/en/TD-SYNNEX-Unveils-AI-That-Works-Alongside-Partners-Expanding-PartnerFirst-with-Agentic-CapabilitiesTD SYNNEX — FinOps Fusion announcement. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008565728/en/TD-SYNNEX-Introduces-FinOps-Fusion-to-Optimize-AI-Token-Spend-Across-Cloud-and-Core-InfrastructureTD SYNNEX — Space Tech Initiative announcement. https://news.tdsynnex.com/news/td-synnex-launches-space-tech-initiative-to-help-partners-capitalize-on-the-growing-space-economy/Uncle Marv’s IT Business Podcast — FinOps Fusion coverage. https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/blog/td-synnex-launches-finops-fusion/=== Swag MentionsErgotron: https://www.ergotron.com/en-us/KIOXIA: https://americas.kioxia.com/en-us/Kingston Technology: https://www.kingston.com/enOmnissa: https://www.omnissa.com/=== SPONSORS:Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoipTravel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugridDigital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready=== SHOW MUSIC:Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock LogoItem URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UETAuthor Username: AlexanderRufireItem License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcastIf you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Recurring revenue is nice. Recurring profitability is what pays the bills. I sat down with Augie Staab, Director of MSP Sales at TD SYNNEX, at Inspire in Greenville, South Carolina, to talk about the difference. We dug into cybersecurity stack standardization, what makes a vendor offering truly useful to MSPs, and why letting every customer pick a different tool can undermine your business. Augie also explained how TD SYNNEX’s dedicated MSP sales team and new MSP ARC program aim to help partners identify gaps and make better business decisions.Stop building a different stack for every customerI asked Augie about selling cybersecurity as a service rather than simply reselling a product. She pointed to a familiar problem: customers request their preferred vendors, and the MSP keeps making exceptions. Her advice was to standardize around technologies you understand, know the industries you serve well, and build something you can deliver repeatedly. The lesson is straightforward: recurring sales alone don’t prove your service model is profitable.=== Guest: Augie Staab, TD SYNNEX, Director of MSP SalesWebsite: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritapena=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books / Events / OrganizationsBecome a Partner: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/en/partnerfirst.htmlTD SYNNEX Inspire: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/inspire/TD SYNNEX MSP Sales: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/smbconnect/msp-sales/TD SYNNEX PartnerLINK: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/PartnerLINK/TD SYNNEX MSP Evolve: https://site.tdsynnex.com/msp-evolve/p/1=== SPONSORS:Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoipTravel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugridDigital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC: Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock LogoItem URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UETAuthor Username: AlexanderRufireItem License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcastIf you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Using fewer AI tokens doesn’t automatically mean you’re saving money. I sat down with Andre Van der Post, Vice President of Cloud Solutions at TD SYNNEX, at Inspire in Greenville, South Carolina, to talk about FinOps Fusion and what it takes to manage AI spending beyond the token count.We get into infrastructure costs, poorly written prompts, governance, and the opportunity for MSPs to help clients make smarter decisions. Andre also gets honest about what’s still being built. The takeaway: managing AI costs means understanding the business value, not just watching usage.=== Guest: Andre Van der Post, TD SYNNEXWebsite: https://tdsynnex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrevanderpost=== Companies / Vendors / Products / BooksSign Up for an account at TD SYNNEX: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/en/partnerfirst.htmlFinOps Fusion: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008565728/en/TD-SYNNEX-Introduces-FinOps-Fusion-to-Optimize-AI-Token-Spend-Across-Cloud-and-Core-InfrastructureTD SYNNEX Inspire: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/inspire/Microsoft Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/copilotGoogle Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/AI Token Consumption Assessment: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008565728/en/TD-SYNNEX-Introduces-FinOps-Fusion-to-Optimize-AI-Token-Spend-Across-Cloud-and-Core-InfrastructureUnified Visibility Dashboard: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008565728/en/TD-SYNNEX-Introduces-FinOps-Fusion-to-Optimize-AI-Token-Spend-Across-Cloud-and-Core-InfrastructureAI Spend Optimization Recommendations: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008565728/en/TD-SYNNEX-Introduces-FinOps-Fusion-to-Optimize-AI-Token-Spend-Across-Cloud-and-Core-Infrastructure=== SPONSORS:Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoipTravel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugridDigital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready=== SHOW MUSIC:Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock LogoItem URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UETAuthor Username: AlexanderRufireItem License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcastIf you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Dr. Lorne Lavine, better known as The Digital Dentist, joined me to talk about building an IT business that serves one vertical and serves it well. Before becoming an MSP owner, Lorne practiced periodontics, which gave him a real advantage when he started helping dental offices with technology, software decisions, networks, HIPAA, and cybersecurity.We talked about how he grew through credibility, referrals, writing, speaking, and staying focused on dentists instead of trying to support every kind of business. There are some solid lessons here for any MSP: niche down, understand the customer’s world, do profitable risk assessments, avoid racing to the bottom on price, and build your role around the work you actually enjoy doing.=== Guest: Dr. Lorne Lavine, The Digital DentistWebsite: https://www.thedigitaldentist.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitaldentist=== Shout OutsRobin Robins / Technology Marketing Toolkit: https://www.technologymarketingtoolkit.com/Jennifer Bleam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-bleam/Nigel Moore / The Tech Tribe: https://thetechtribe.com/=== Companies / Vendors / Products / BooksHenry Schein: https://www.henryschein.com/Patterson Dental: https://www.pattersondental.com/Carestream Dental: https://www.carestreamdental.com/en-us/Open Dental Software: https://www.opendental.com/Curve Dental: https://www.curvedental.com/Planet DDS: https://www.planetdds.com/DentalTown: https://www.dentaltown.com/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: https://www.hhs.gov/Office for Civil Rights, HHS: https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/Dentrix: https://www.dentrix.com/Dentrix Ascend: https://www.dentrix.com/products/dentrix-ascendOpen Dental: https://www.opendental.com/Denticon: https://www.planetdds.com/denticon/=== SPONSORS:Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoipTravel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugridDigital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock LogoItem URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UETAuthor Username: AlexanderRufireItem License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcastIf you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Charlotte Conroy from Recent Communications joins me for a straight conversation about UCaaS, cloud communications, and why MSPs should stop treating phones like the thing they would rather avoid. Her company works alongside MSPs to help clients move from aging phone systems to supported, reliable communications without turning every phone issue into an internal help desk problem.We talk about competing on value instead of price, the reality of copper-line shutdowns, legacy phone systems that are still out there, integrations with door access and overhead paging, and where AI can actually help without making the customer experience worse. If communications matter to your clients, this is a good reminder that somebody needs to own the conversation, even if you do not want to own the entire phone stack.=== Guest: Charlotte (Ciccone) Conroy, Recent CommunicationsWebsite: https://www.recentcom.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottecicconeconroy=== NewsITSM Market Worth $22.91 Billion by 2031: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/it-service-management-market-worth-22-91-billion-by-2031--report-by-marketsandmarkets-302894029.html === Companies / Vendors / Products / BooksFreedomVoice: https://www.freedomvoice.com/GoDaddy: https://www.godaddy.com/Intermedia: https://www.intermedia.com/RingCentral: https://www.ringcentral.com/Vonage: https://www.vonage.com/Avaya: https://www.avaya.com/en/Grandstream Networks: https://www.grandstream.com/Viking Electronics: https://vikingelectronics.com/Ubiquiti: https://ui.com/UniFi: https://ui.com/D&H Distributing: https://www.dandh.com/TD SYNNEX: https://www.tdsynnex.com/ === Podcasts / Events / OrganizationsITEXPO: https://www.itexpo.com/MSP Expo: https://www.mspexpo.com/TechSuperShow: https://www.techsupershow.com/TD SYNNEX Inspire: https://www.tdsynnex.com/na/us/inspire/TD SYNNEX Inspire Insider: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/td-synnex-inspire-insider-7491233541796683776/ === Connect with Uncle Marv🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcastIf you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.